The Greatest Valuable Bundle
by TigreMalabarista
Summary: Though they’ve been in scenarios before that tested their limits, this one might test both Ralph and Bill’s patience. Rated T for language, situations, mild violence
1. Chapter 1

Summary : Though they've been in scenarios before that tested their limits, this one might test both Ralph and Bill's patience.

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It was a nice, but rather chilly, November afternoon in California as Ralph drove up to Orange County State Bank.

Turning off the car and gathering his checks to deposit, Ralph smiled at the check on the top - it was a nice bonus for winning the debate competition at the last convention he attended. He planed to use the money for a field trip to Disneyland with his class to teach the science behind the rides.

"Ralph, wouldja quit starin' at pieces of paper and get a move on?" said a voice next to Ralph.

Groaning, the man turned and glared at Bill Maxwell, friend and teammate thanks to a couple of intergalactic aliens and a suit with unearthly powers. "C'mon Bill, it'll only take about two minutes. The bank's not that busy this time of the day. Besides, let me enjoy my prize before I can cash it."

"Yeah, you're gonna use that money ta get the kids a chance to go see Mickey Mouse, why not save it for something better?"

"Like what?"

"Burgers and cokes, seeing as we eat them a lot," said Bill as he saw Ralph get out of the car. "Just hurry up huh? Ya said we'd go work on suit powers."

"Yes, I did Bill. Now, if you'll stay here and let me deposit my checks, we can then go to the desert," he said, then smirked. "If you behave, I'll even bring you back a lollipop from the tellers."

Seeing Bill roll his eyes and mumble something about kids, Ralph chuckled and entered the bank. It was rather slow, and after endorsing his checks, went over to the teller. He sighed slightly as he saw the woman with the teller was in the middle of counting coins, and looked like it'd take a couple of minutes.

As he looked at his watch, a man walked into the bank wearing a grey hooded sweater, jeans and high-tops. He approached the teller station, knocking Ralph slightly out of the way. "Excuse me," said Ralph, only to see the man pull out a revolver and point it at him.

The teller jumped back and gave a short scream, causing the robber to point the revolver at her. "Shut up. I want you to put all the money in this bag," the gunman said harshly.

As the teller started to comply, she put in a fake bundle that had a tracer, but the robber threw it against the wall. He then grabbed her arm and twisted it, causing her to yell in pain. "Pull a stunt like that again and you'll die," he said as he roughly dropped her arm.

She nodded slightly and, wincing at the pain in her arm, did as she was told. Ralph looked around the bank hoping the guard would walk in and stop the robbery. To his dismay, he saw the guard lying unconscious near his post. Ralph tugged on the collar of the jammies, trying to think of a way to incapacitate the gunman without him firing his weapon. While he knew that he was protected, he knew that one wrong move could cost someone else their life.

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Outside, Bill impatiently checked his watch again, wondering why it was taking Ralph so long to get done with depositing his checks. He then noticed a man getting out of the van, covering his head with the hood of his sweater and putting his hands in his pockets.

When Bill saw the man enter and pull out a weapon, the agent got out of the station wagon and sneaked his way toward the door. He looked above the brush and noticed that the gunmen were pointing weapons at Ralph and the others inside. While he knew Ralph had the suit on, with two gunmen, Bill knew there was a chance Ralph couldn't get both of the men without one hurting the women. He ducked under the windowpane to stay hidden, and began to think of a scenario to stop the men.


	2. Chapter 2

Ralph was thinking of a plan when he saw a second man enter… and draw his weapon. Taking a quick glance outside, he saw Bill ducking under the windowpane, realizing he had seen what was going on.

The second gunman frowned and jerked Ralph's face around to face him. "Hey, ya think a knight in shinin' armor's comin' ta save ya?" said the man, sneering. He then shoved Ralph to the teller's desk and roughly pushed his head to the table. Ralph barely had time to put his hands under his head for some protection. "Now, give me your wallet," demanded the man as he put the gun to Ralph's head.

"It's in my back pocket," Ralph's tone belied his feelings inside as the gunman took his wallet.

After riffling through it, he frowned at the amount. "You only have $4 here," said the man.

"I'm a schoolteacher."

"Figures," said the second gunman as he kept guard over the other customer. She was panicking and quietly praying a Hail Mary… in Spanish.

"Shut up," said the second gunman to the woman. When she didn't stop, he pointed his gun at the woman and put his finger on the trigger….

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," said Bill as he put his pistol in the man's back. "Freeze it, Maxwell-FBI. You're under arrest for attempted robbery."

The first gunman, having the bag filled, grabbed Ralph and wrapped an arm around his neck. He then used his free hand to place the muzzle of his gun to the blond-haired man's temple. Ralph gulped slightly as while he had the suit on, it didn't always protect his head. He had been knocked out a couple of times before even in the outfit, so he was definitely worried that a bullet would kill him.

The gunman put a slight pressure on Ralph's neck and growled at Bill. "Try anything cowboy and this man dies," he said.

"Yours will too," said Bill, keeping his weapon trained in the second man's back.

The second gunman sneered back. "You might be able to do that, but I'll kill the girl at the same time," he said coolly. "So, you have a choice: Give up or you have two deaths on your hands."

Bill frowned as he contemplated his options. The current scenario didn't look good because he knew Ralph's head wasn't quite protected, not to mention the gunman had his arm around Ralph's neck. Seeing Ralph's eyelids flutter slightly, Bill frowned at the thought even wearing the jammies, Ralph might pass out. It looked like the gunman would put Ralph in a full blood choke if Bill didn't comply and if that happened and the suit didn't protect him, Ralph couldn't help out.

When he noticed that the second gunman's firing hand was pointed at the woman and the trigger half pulled back, Bill knew the best thing to do was to comply, especially since he noticed the teller secretly punch the silent alarm while the gunmen were dealing with the standoff.

Bill pulled the gun away from the second gunman's back and put the weapon down. The first gunman pulled his gun back and released Ralph from the hold. "All right, now you're seeing it our way," said the man. "Now, I want all of you to get into that safe. Move."

The other three, along with the two drive through tellers and a manager, started to go toward the vault. As they entered the vault, Bill looked inside to see how they could get out.

Ralph, however, was a few feet outside the safe and decided he'd try to use the suit now. "Move it buster," said the second gunman as he pointed his gun at Ralph.

"Look, why are you putting us in the safe? You've got what you wanted, just tie and gag us and you can leave," said Ralph as he tugged on the collar of his tie to try and get to the suit. He felt if enough showed he could knock out the men and not reveal his secret.

"We don't want any witnesses seeing our getaway," said the gunman. "Now, get in there."

Ralph tried to use a stronger reason and took a step forward toward the man. "Listen, I'm claustrophobic and…" he started, but Ralph was cut off when the second gunman dealt him a sharp blow to the head with the butt of his gun. Dazed, Ralph was shoved into the vault, crashing into the wall.

The gunmen closed the door, locking the safe. They smiled when they saw it was on a time lock, set for eight hours, knowing that with it being a fairly air-tight vault, the people inside would probably die of asphyxiation before they could be rescued. They then left the bank, taking the money with them.

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Ralph leaned a bit heavily against the safe wall, trying to clear his head. His head was throbbing and looking around the room, he winced at the brightness of the lights. 'Damn,' he thought to himself. 'Something's wrong.'

Bill however, was paying more attention to what was happening outside. Not hearing any voices outside, he turned back to Ralph. "They're gone kid," said Bill. "Do your stuff."

The other man didn't answer, and Bill looked at him oddly. "C'mon don't go all pale like that. Use the suit and unlock the door," he said. "Should be a piece of cake for you."

Ralph looked at Bill as he felt the world close in on him. "Bill…" said Ralph softly just before his eyes rolled back in his head and he collapsed to the floor.

"Ralph? C'mon kid, no reason ta faint…" said Bill, kneeling next to Ralph and, after turning him over, shook his shoulder. Ralph wasn't responding. Seeing the others look on in concern, Bill decided to play along. "He's claustrophobic… It's not that small of a room…"

Bill paused when he took a closer look at Ralph, and thinking he saw only the whites of Ralph's eyes peeking out from under the lids, grew concerned. He then rubbed Ralph's sternum with his knuckles, and not getting a response, checked Ralph's head. He touched a spot, and drawing his hand back, saw blood on his fingers. "Damn it Ralph, what did ya do ta get into this scenario?" he said softly.

The bank teller noticed Bill was frowning. "What's wrong," said the teller. "He just fainted right?"

Bill looked up at the woman. "No, he's out cold. They musta pistol-whipped him before he was thrown in the safe," He said as he rolled Ralph onto his stomach and put him in the recovery position. 'Why the suit can't protect that head of yours…'

"He should wake up soon...I mean he is going to be all right?" asked the teller.

"I hope so sweetheart," he said as he then covered Ralph with his coat. "He might be the only way we get out of this scenario."

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As a pair of police cars sped toward the bank, the two robbers sped off in the opposite direction to their hideout.

Unbeknownst to them, an unmarked police car saw the out-of-date license plates and ran a check. Finding out they belonged to a man with warrants, he put a siren light on top of his car and sped off, trying to pull the men over.

"Damn," said one of the gunmen seeing the lights turn on. "Jack, get us outta here."

"Right Sam," said Jack jamming his foot harder on the accelerator. As he did, the car started swerving out of control just barely missing cars along the way.

Two sharp turns later, the van had come down an alleyway. "We lost them," said Sam with a smile and turned a corner. A cat bolted out from behind a garbage can and ran into the road. Jumping out of his skin, Jack turned the wheel and hit the wall. The van bounced on each side of the alley as it continued before finally stopping near the entrance of the alleyway.

The unmarked police car pulled up to the wreck, after making sure there was backup, the detective got out and went over to the van. Peering inside he saw the occupants where unconscious. He checked the men inside the van as well as taking a brief look around, before walking back to the others. "They're alive, but pretty badly hurt," he said.

"We've already called for an ambulance," said the second officer who had arrived on scene.

"It also looks like they might be those robbers we've been looking for, if the items inside are any indication."

"OK, we'll see what's inside once these guys are on their way to the hospital."

The detective nodded and they waited for the ambulance to come, not knowing they had caught the robbers who had just robbed the Orange County State Bank. And, with both injured, no one there knew that there were six people locked inside the safe, with not much time left before the air started to get thin in the vault.


	3. Chapter 3

In the vault, everyone was trying to stay calm and work out a plan. They had tried the phone inside to see if anyone would answer outside, but so far no luck. Everyone was growing more concerned as they tried to figure out where the officers were.

Bill was near Ralph, again checking his vitals. Ralph was still lying in the recovery position, and now had two coats covering him to keep him from going into shock. His head had been bandaged with a clean handkerchief and Bill's tie.

It had been about 15 minutes since Ralph lost consciousness, and he had not so much as stirred. Bill was growing increasingly worried, hoping the suit was doing something to help bring Ralph around.

"C'mon Kid, wake up," said Bill. "The Counselor's not gonna like it if ya hafta go to the hospital for another bump on the head. This ain't a train that hit 'cha after all."

"Train," said the bank manager, wondering where the comment came from.

Bill felt a slight blush creep up his neck, realizing he could have inadvertently revealed the suit. "Uh, yes train. He went to a train museum about a year and a half or so ago. Tripped and hit his head on the track rails. Kept thinkin' he was the little engine that could for about two weeks," said Bill.

"Oh. Better than thinking he's a bunch of coal."

"Right," said Bill, a little confused at the comment. "All right boys and girls, we might as well know who's who and work out a plan ta get outta here or get people to help us. As you know, I'm Bill Maxwell, and my injured friend here is Ralph Hinkley. He's normally a school teacher when he's not out like a light."

"My name's Shannon Gables," said the bank manager. "And the tellers are Zora and Fred."

Bill nodded at the four and then turned to the one who was a customer before the robbery. "And your name is?" he asked. The young woman looked at him slightly terrified and after looking around, made the sign of the cross.

When she spoke only in a foreign language, Bill frowned. "All right, you don't speak English. Sounds like Spanish, possibly that fancier version that Ralph talked about. Does anyone know what she's saying?"

The others shook their head in negation, and Bill sighed, wishing Ralph hadn't tried anything for once. "OK, so we're going to haveta wait until Ralph comes to so we can get her name. Now, here's the scenario: How do we get outta here?"

"We can't, at least that I know of," said Shannon. "There's a time lock on the vault, and it opens three times a day."

"When does it open next?"

"At 10 p.m. when we put in the night deposits from stores."

Looking at his watch, Bill frowned. They had 7 hours to go before it could open up on its own. And, looking at the size of the room, he wasn't sure about the air in there. "All right, we're gonna haveta find a way to open that lock or hope that the police are able ta get here and cut the lock," he said.

Zora noticed Bill's look and frowned. "We know what you're thinking, and you're right. While the vault isn't totally air tight, it's hard to get fresh air in here constantly. It will get hard to breathe by about 7:30-8," she said.

"So, we need ta get help before then," said Bill as he turned to look at Ralph. He noticed a slight twitch in the younger man's face and smiled.

"What is it?" asked Fred. "He all right?"

"I think so. Looks like he's wakin' up," said Bill as he rolled Ralph over onto his back and gave him a sternal rub. "Ralph, time ta rise and shine."

"C'mon Mom, I wanna go play on the playground," came the very soft reply.

While Bill smiled, he knew Ralph couldn't pass out again and repeated what he said. This time, Ralph grimaced in pain and swatted away Bill's hand. Fortunately, Ralph was very groggy or Bill would have been thrown to the wall. "Wake up, we needja to help us here, not taking a nap."

Ralph moaned and opened his eyes. Looking around , he saw he was in a room full of metal boxes and Bill was sitting to his left.

"Bill? Where are we," said Ralph as he tried to get up. Feeling the room spin, he quickly laid his head back down.

Bill leaned over to look at Ralph's eyes. From first glance, he could tell that Ralph's pupils were equal and reacted to the light above them after temporarily shading Ralph's eyes, meaning he didn't receive a serious blow to the head, but they did look glazed.

Ralph however was getting annoyed by the motion. "Quit it Bill, I'm dizzy enough as it is," he said, complaining. "What happened?"

Bill decided to check Ralph's memory to see if he had a serious concussion. "Ya tell me what happened," he said as he checked Ralph's pulse.

The younger man groaned, realizing what Bill was implying, but responded anyway. "I was in the bank and it got robbed. A second man came in, you tried to play cowboy and stop him, I got myself put in a chokehold with a gun pointed right at my head," said Ralph, shaking his head slightly to get rid of the dizziness. He then realized he was in the vault.

"OK, then what?"

"Then… we were all herded off to the vault and I tried to reason with them to see if…well" said Ralph, then pausing, when he saw the others in the vault. Realizing he couldn't say 'bust the bad guys' he gave Bill a knowing look.

The agent nodded, understanding why he was pausing, and Ralph continued. "Anyway, one of the guys hit me over the head and shoved me into a wall inside the vault. Then, I got real dizzy and then, well, here I am."

"Good Ralph," said Bill. "Got straight A's there for the robbery. I'll haveta getcha that lollipop ya promised me."

"Just make it a root beer one," said Ralph chuckling, only to groan when his head protested the action. "How long have I been out?"

"About 20 minutes," said Bill, tugging on the collar of his shirt. "And so far we've tried ta figure out how ta get outta here, but there's a time lock on the safe. So, other than wait for the Calvary, any ideas?"

"Well one, but I'm not sure of it yet," said Ralph as he finally was able to sit up. "I'm still a bit dizzy to help out - if you know what I mean."

"Should be a piece of cake even with that little bump…"

"Maybe, but it involves going over there and concentrating. Right now I think if I even try to do either I'll pass out again. I'm going to have to rest some more."

Bill frowned, realizing it'd be a delay getting out of the safe if Ralph rested, but didn't want the man to go out again. He wasn't entirely sure if Ralph was all right, as the last time he had been hit in the head so hard, even in the suit, he wound up with amnesia.

Noticing Ralph's eyes flutter to fight off a slight dizzy spell, Bill knew he had to relent. "All right, rest up a little kid so we can get out of here."

Ralph nodded just as the Spanish speaking customer cried out apparently in pain. She then spouted off a few words. Ralph frowned when he heard the words. "Bill said you knew Spanish," said Zora.

"Sounds like it's Castellan," said Ralph. "There's only a few differences, but it's the formal version of the language."

"Do you know what she's saying?" said Zora.

Ralph nodded. "Yes. She said she was in pain," he said. When the woman cried out again in pain, she looked at all of them and spoke again, fear in her eyes.

Bill was confused when he heard one word. "What? How can she be embarrassed about being in pain? It's not like she was knocked out any time around here," he said.

Ralph paled, understanding exactly what she just said. "Uh, she's not embarrassed. Embarazada isn't a cognate."

"Cognate?"

"Word that means the same in just about any language."

"Then what's her problem?"

"She's pregnant."

"So?"

"Bill… she's in pain because she thinks she's going into labor. She's not sure though…"

It was Bill's - and the bank workers - turn to pale. "Ralph, if you're saying what I think you're saying…"

"Right, if she does and we can't get out of here soon, we might have to deliver this baby ourselves," he said.


	4. Chapter 4

The police arrived at the bank, and noticed there appeared to be no one inside. They searched the premises, and found the robbers had fled. After quickly going through the tapes, they found the make and model of the get away car.

They then grouped together with their findings. "OK, the robbers have fled. We'll put out an APB for a black van in the area," said the officer. "Now, my guess is the witnesses are inside the safe."

"If they're alive," said the second officer with a grim reality. In the past week, he had been to a robbery where all but one person was murdered by the robbers. While they ended up catching the robbers, every visit to the victim's families haunted his memories.

Shaking off the possible reality, the officer found a phone that lead to the safe's vault. He dialed the number and heard it pick up. "Bill Maxwell," said the voice on the other line.

"Mr. Maxwell, this is Sgt. Kyle Henderson of the Orange County Police. We're outside the bank vault right now. How many of you are inside?"

"There's six of us, and the bank workers here said the vault's on a time lock."

"We see it here, and are getting a locksmith to cut it," said Henderson as he nodded to the second officer. "Are any of you hurt?"

Bill turned to the group. "Are any of you hurt other than who we know?" he asked, and everyone else shook their head, including Ralph. "Ralph, you're hurt."

"I know Bill. My head is playing it's own version of 'Journey of the Sorcerer' versus The Rolling Stones," said Ralph, making a face.

"Then why didja shake your head no?"

"To keep in time with the music."

The agent shrugged his shoulders at the comment and turned back to the phone. "We do have someone who was knocked out by the robbers. He's awake now, but has a pretty bad cut," said Bill who then cleared his throat. "And… we have a pregnant woman who thinks she might be going into labor."

"Has her water broke?"

"I don't know, I don't pay her water bills," said Bill.

Ralph, noticing Bill's confusion, asked the woman in Spanish if her water had broken. She shook her head. "Bill, the answer's no."

"But this isn't the utility…"

"Just trust me here, Bill."

"Uh, my friend says the answer's no."

"OK. Make sure to keep her comfortable and watch for any signs of her going into labor. If that happens tell us immediately," said Henderson. "Now, I'm going to hang up, but rest assured help is on the way."

"Gotcha," said Bill as he hung up the phone. He then turned to Ralph, still confused. "What was that all about with water?"

"He was asking if she was going to be going into labor soon," said Ralph. "That's a sign."

"Oh… OH," said Bill, blushing slightly. "So, guess it's wait and see right now."

Ralph nodded and tried to stand up. "Well, unless I can…" He stopped, feeling a wave of dizziness as the room grew dark.

Bill caught the man and eased him to a chair. "Put your head between your knees Ralph," he said, guiding Ralph into that position.

"Bill, I feel fine…" said Ralph dizzily.

"Sure ya do. Ya always go around pale as a ghost and moving just about as gracefully as a drunk on rollerskates," said Bill. Hearing Ralph grumble, Bill put a hand on his shoulder. "Kid, I know I wanted ya to get us outta here faster, but I can tell you're not well. Just rest a few more minutes then we'll try."

Ralph nodded slightly and ran a hand through his hair. Bill stood up and walked around the small room. Zora and Fred were taking a nap while Shannon was tending to the pregnant woman, whose name Ralph found out was Esperanza.

The agent took a deep breath and let it out, deep in thought. Ralph was showing signs of at least a mild concussion, and apparently the suit was having trouble keeping Ralph totally awake. He started to wonder if Ralph would be able to try and unlock the safe using the suit. Even with help coming and the suit's help, he wasn't sure they'd get out in enough time before the air started to get stale. Then, it'd be only a matter of time before they were either rescued, or the worst happened.


	5. Chapter 5

Pam arrived at the house with a bundle of groceries for a romantic dinner for her and Ralph. She had the day off after finishing a long trial, and decided that the two needed time to relax and have fun.

Turning on the TV, she then went into the kitchen to unpack the groceries. The TV warmed up and the evening news appeared on the screen. "…Authorities are now at Mercy General Hospital keeping guard on two suspected bank robbers," the anchorman said "They are believed to be the two people who might be linked to an early afternoon bank robbery at the Orange County State Bank…"

Pam peeked her head around the corner as she heard the news. "Ralph was supposed to be there," she said as she listened in as the anchorman continued. "A guard was found unconscious at the scene and has been taken to Mercy in serious condition. …"

Pam frowned when she heard the news. Ralph had said he was going to the bank, and hadn't arrived home yet. While she knew he was going to be going with Bill to work out some scenarios in the desert, she hoped that something serious hadn't gone wrong.

She caught the tail end of the interview. "…Authorities say they have contacted someone inside the vault - a Bill Maxwell - who has told rescuers of at least one casualty, a male who was injured and a pregnant woman who may be in labor among the seven inside the vault. A locksmith has been called to open the safe…."

Pam's mouth dropped open. Bill was there, so that meant Ralph was there as well. Based on the description, a male had been injured. While it could've been Bill, Pam had a sinking feeling it had been Ralph instead. And, the word casualty had many meanings: from sprained ankle to seriously wounded.

Deciding that she couldn't stay there and wait, Pam locked the house and went out to the VW bug. She got inside, started the car and drove to the bank, praying all the way that Ralph, Bill and the others were all right and they'd get out before the vault's air grew stale.

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About five minutes after the officer's call, Bill went over to Ralph and noticed he was deep in thought. "Ralph… hey, all the puzzle pieces together?" he asked, shaking Ralph's shoulder.

"Yeah… they are Bill. I'm just trying to not feel like I'm riding a merry-go-round at 100 miles an hour," said Ralph softly, putting a hand to the spot where the robber hit him.

"These creeps gotcha really good didn't they," he said, and Ralph nodded, wincing. Bill continued, curious. "So… why did they hit ya after all?"

"I was trying a second idea to get them before the safe was closed - saying I was claustrophobic, and…" he said, making a swinging motion.

Bill frowned in thought. On top of everything else he'd been through, Ralph did look a bit panicky. "Kid… ya ain't really claustrophobic are ya?"

"Not unless you put me in a really, really tiny dark box," said Ralph. "So, do you want me to try and unlock the vault with the uit-say?"

The agent smiled. "If you're sure ya can handle it," he said and Ralph nodded. The blond-haired man stood up and loosened his collar. He then pointed a finger toward the vault's door and concentrated.

Not hearing any clangs of the lock being unwound, he tried harder. After a few moments, he grew lightheaded and stopped, rubbing his eyes. "No luck," he said tiredly.

"Terrific, guess that blow's gonna cause problems with… " said Bill, stopping his comment but pointing at the suit peeking out under Ralph's shirt.

"Yep, at least for the moment. Guess we'll need to wait a while to try again or for them to unlock the safe and…" Ralph paused when he heard Esperanza cry out in pain. Worried, Ralph rushed and over to the woman and kneeled next to her. She grabbed Bill's hand and winced again in pain.

"She had been grumbling a bit and holding her stomach," said Shannon.

Esperanza let out a loud yell of pain again, squeezing Bill's hand tightly. "Ow, and I thought ya had a hard handshake kid," said Bill, wincing at the pain in his hand.

Ralph, getting a strange feeling near his knee, looked toward the ground. "Uh Bill… we have a problem," he said, swallowing hard.

"You're tellin' me. The dame here squeezes my hand like she's a bone crusher and…"

"NO, worse. Her water just broke…"

Bill, letting go of Esperanza's hand, and the others looked down on the ground near the pregnant woman. They realized Ralph was telling the truth. Fred, who had never had much of a stomach for stuff like this, gave a soft sigh, and passed out, crashing into Bill. Both men ended up in a tangle on the floor.

"What's his problem? It's not that bad," said Bill as he moved Fred off of him.

Ralph, noticing the whole incident grumbled. "Excelente, una persona embarazada, un persona desmayo y un persona con un concusión," said Ralph grousing, almost as if a curse.

Esperanza nodded understanding. "Es verdad," she said wryly, then gave a short yell in pain.

Bill looked at Ralph, confused. "Kid, I don't follow your logic here, but if it helps her…."

"Sorry Bill, just giving the facts: Esperanza's pregnant, Fred's passed out, and given the way I've been, I probably have a concussion," said Ralph, grumbling. "What else can go wrong?"

"Don't say that Kd, or we'll end up with a couple of green guys coming in to save the day," said Bill, and the group chuckled. What the others didn't know was that Bill was quite serious in his comments.

"Que?" asked Esperanza, confused. Ralph translated the comment as best as he could, and she too chuckled, then winced in pain.

"I'll call the police outside," said Zora, as she went over to the phone and dialed the number. As she relayed the information, Bill dragged Fred over to another corner of the room and covered him with a coat. Shannon stayed by Esperanza's side, holding her hand and talking to her in a soothing voice. While Esperanza couldn't understand what Shannon was saying, it did seem to calm her down some.

Bill then went back over to where the group was. "Fred's still out like a light, but should be all right," he said quietly.

"Good, but we'd better make sure he doesn't come back over here when he wakes up. I have a feeling he's not good at dealing with this type of emergency."

"I don't think you are either," said Bill quietly, noticing Ralph's slight pallor. He couldn't blame Ralph though, as he was certain he had the same look in his eye.

"Well, we're going to have to do something, because I doubt this baby will wait for us to get out of the vault," said Ralph as Zora turned away from the phone. "The police said there's a pair of paramedics outside. They want to know how far she's along and if it's her first."

Ralph and Bill looked at each other and frowned. "Uh… Ralph, can you uh…" said Bill, not wanting to check. The younger man rolled his eyes slightly and told Esperanza what he had to do. After knowing for certain she wasn't going to belt him doing this, had her take off her underwear, lie back in a reclining position and bend her knees to where she could deliver the baby. Ralph resituated her skirt to give her some more privacy, blushing as red - at least he felt - as the suit.

Ralph then peeked under her skirt, which made Bill cringe slightly, feeling slightly squeamish. After a few moments, Ralph then sat up. "I'm not too sure what they want, but I don't see the baby's head or anything. She also said this is her third child."

Zora relayed the information to the paramedics, who in turn told her what to do. She hung up the phone. "They said right now just make her comfortable and give them updates every 10 minutes or so. Given it's her third, they think she'll probably deliver the baby within a couple of hours."

"Did the officers say anything about when they'd be able to get us out?" asked Bill.

"They have to get a cutting torch, and said it'll take at least an hour or two before they can cut all the way through the lock and get us out," she said.

"Terrific," said Ralph and Bill at the same time. Both had a feeling that by the time the police were able to cut through the lock, there'd be another new life in the world.


	6. Chapter 6

Outside the bank, Pam drove up in her Beetle to see several police cars, an ambulance and officers talking.

She started walking up the stairs when one of the officers stopped her. "Miss, I'm sorry but you're going to have to wait outside," he said.

Pam shook her head. "Now Officer …" she paused to read his nametag "Benson, my name is Pam Hinkley and I think my husband's one of the people locked in the safe."

"I'm sorry about that, but you need to wait," said Benson firmly, but gently.

Pam, however, grew a little bit angry. "Listen, I understand the drill but I also know you have an Agent Bill Maxwell in there, and if my husband's is in there and he's the one hurt, I'd like to hear it from Agent Maxwell how he is doing."

Realizing Pam was not going to give up - and knew what Bill did, he nodded. "All right, you may come in, but please don't get in the way."

The woman nodded and both entered the bank. After telling the officers who she was, the captain on duty walked over to her. "Mrs. Hinkley? I'm Captain Freeman, and Officer Benson said you know Bill Maxwell."

"Yes, I do," she said as she saw the locksmith setting up his equipment to cut the bolt of the vault. "Can I talk with him? I'm worried that the person who's hurt is my husband."

Freeman nodded. "Certainly Mrs. Hinkley," he said and walked her over to the phone. "This will ring the phone in the vault. But, please don't talk long, as we need to keep it open for updates on the pregnant woman. She's now in labor."

She nodded and picked up the phone. "Maxwell," said the voice on the other line.

"Bill? It's Pam."

"Counselor? What are ya doin' here?"

Pam rolled her eyes. "Wondering what you're doing here," she said sarcastically, then softened her tone. "Is Ralph in there with you?"

"Yeah he is…"

"Is he all right?"

"Uh, yeah… yeah, just right now he's takin' care of the dame in about ta have a kid."

Pam didn't miss the stumble over his words. "Bill… what's wrong with Ralph?"

Bill sighed knowing it was useless to try and lie to the Counselor. "He got pistol-whipped by the creeps."

"What about… well you know? Didn't it help?" said Pam, hinting about the suit. "Unless he doesn't have it."

"Ralph has it, but it didn't protect him enough. He was out cold for a bit, but for the most part seems fine."

"Seems fine?"

"Counselor, I'm not sure all the lights are on upstairs, and he even admits he's not sure. But right now he's the only person who can help with the pregnant lady. He's the only person who speaks that fancy Spanish - Catalina language."

"Castellan?"

"Yeah… that one."

Freeman tapped Pam on the shoulder. "You need to wrap it up," he said gently. "But see too how the woman in labor is doing."

"Uh, Bill… I need to go. How's the woman doing?"

Bill relayed the question to Ralph, and Pam smiled when she heard Ralph's voice in the distance. "Uh, Ralph said the contractions are about 4 minutes apart," he said.

Pam smiled. "OK, four minutes. Tell Ralph I'm here and that everything will be all right."

"Gotcha Counselor. See you in a little bit," he said and Pam could hear the two conversing in the background. "Ralph says he loves ya."

"Tell him I love him too Bill. See you two soon, 'bye," she said and hung up the phone.

Freeman walked with Pam over to one of the chairs at a desk. "Have a seat, and we'll try to have everyone out as soon as possible."

Pam nodded and sat down, thinking. She was worried about what Bill had told her about Ralph. The wait was similar to the one she had while driving to the hospital when Ralph flew head-first into a train. While Ralph was at least conscious this time, Pam was worried too that he could have a concussion. She sat quietly, praying that everyone in the vault would get out safely and Ralph's head injury wasn't too serious.

--------------------------------------------

The locksmith started cutting through the bolts of the safe. It was slow work, but he was making some progress. It had been three hours since the robbery, and so far two inches had been cut through out of a four inch thick bolt.

"How's it going Mac," asked Freeman.

"It'll take about another hour to get the bolt cut through," he said.

"Not good enough, you need to hurry," he said, only to hear a mean hissing sound. Seeing the locksmith frown at the now light blue cone of light coming from the torch, Freeman grew concerned. "What's wrong?"

"The torch is almost out of acetylene. I need to get another tank…."

"Well then get one."

"This is the last one I had on my truck."

Freeman frowned and went to a regular phone. Dialing a number, he called the fire department and asked the nearest fire department for one of their torches. The nearest station was 10 minutes away and was called to the scene of the robbery. Pam heard the discussion and frowned, hoping they could get the bolt cut soon, not just for Ralph, but for the pregnant woman. Overhearing one of the paramedics say that the baby could come as soon as an hour, she prayed the two men in her life - husband and friend - weren't squeamish about bringing a new life in the world.


	7. Chapter 7

Inside the vault, Ralph was talking soothingly to Esperanza as she went through another contraction. In the past hour, the time between the woman's contractions had dropped from three minutes to two.

Zora was taking care of Fred, who was still having trouble being anywhere near the woman in labor without feeling at least queasy. Shannon was doing her best to keep the woman as calm as possible, while Bill was timing the contractions. "She's still at about a minute and a half, two kid," he said, only to hear Ralph speaking - no, actually singing - in Spanish. "Ralph? Uh…"

Ralph, who was sitting on the floor near Esperanza to keep her calm looked up. "What?"

"Pop quiz… the lights all on upstairs, or is there a cyclone coming and everyone's in the basement?"

The blond haired man rolled his eyes. "Yep, except maybe the attic, but I don't feel like I'm going to pass out. Why?"

"Well… you're singing a buncha nonsense."

"Huh?… Oh, no Bill, that's 'Despierta,' una cantada en Espanola - sorry, I mean a Spanish song," he said.

Bill shook his head, but Esperanza nodded. "Si, pero no es mi cumpleanos," she said (Yes, but it's not my birthday)

"Pero, hoy es el cumpleanos de su bebe." (Well, today is your baby's birthday)

Bill rolled his eyes. "Kid, I know you're doing stuff ta keep Espadrilla…"

"Esperanza…"

"Whatever happy, but ya gotta tell me when ya feel like doin' this. Bad enough ya probably have a concussion, I don't need at think you're about ta go bananas or out on me."

"OK, I'll try to remember, but I wouldn't worry unless I get pale on top of it," said Ralph as they heard a rather loud cry from Esperanza… and Shannon whose hand was just squeezed.

Shannon switched hands and then shook the other one, wincing. "How long ago was her last contraction," she said.

Bill looked at his watch. "Uh, about a minute-fifteen or so," he said.

Ralph frowned, and after getting permission from Esperanza, he looked under her skirt. "Uh Bill, I think we're going to be delivering a baby soon," he said. "Can you phone the police outside and tell them to hurry up?"

"Gotcha kid," said Bill as he went over to the phone. Ralph then turned to Esperanza and told her what they were doing. Seeing her say something and Ralph frowning, Shannon became concerned. "What did she say?" she asked.

"I told her that we'd get out of here soon and the paramedics would help her, but she says that she thinks the baby will be here in about 10 minutes," he said.

"You don't think she would know that… would she?"

"It's possible given this is her third," said Ralph. "But, it could be because she's wanting it to come soon. I can only imagine what she's going through, especially without any epidurals or anything."

"So, you've done this before," she said, nodding to Ralph's wedding band.

"Huh? … Oh, no I haven't. I have a son, but I wasn't in the delivery room when he was born. My current wife and I don't have any kids yet," said Ralph. He and Pam had been trying for some time, but so far, everytime they tried hadn't been the right time. "But I have friends who've told us about their child's deliveries, so I have a rough idea."

Over at the phone, Bill was listening to the paramedics on the other side. "Yeah, I see. We'll do our best… thanks," he said, and hung up the phone. He then walked over to where Ralph and the others were, and kneeled next to Ralph. "Kid, we've got a problem here," he said sotto voce. "They had to get an acetylene tank an hour ago, and just now got it."

"I thought they said one was on its way an hour ago from the fire department?"

"Yeah, but said department got a call just before the phone rang. So, they had to go to another station. It's going to be at least another 20 minutes before the bolt's cut through," he said and tapped the collar of the suit. "Do ya think ya feel better and can…"

Ralph gave a slight nod and looked at the door, concentrating on unbolting it. After a few moments, the room started to grow even narrower and the room spun…

Seeing Ralph start to list to the side, Bill held on to the man. "OK, you're pale as a sheet and that ain't going to work in many ways," he said, letting Ralph rest his head on the agent's shoulder. Seeing Ralph's eyes clear from the dizzy spell - though not completely - Bill continued. "That's outta the question now. Ya've definitely gotta concussion given how many times this's happened. We'll just haveta wait."

"We can… the baby probably won't," said Ralph slightly groggy as he sat back up.

"Whatdaya mean?"

"Esperanza said she thinks the baby's going to come in 10 minutes," he said, putting up a hand when Bill tried to say something. "I know, it's 'weird mumbo jumbo' to you, but this is her third so she might have an idea."

"OK, ya'd better tell her the news that she's gonna more than likely be dealing with the stork in here," said Bill.

Ralph nodded slightly and told Esperanza of the situation. When she responded, Ralph shook his head and spoke. Bill could tell there was a minor argument going on, but finally Ralph relented. "What was that all about," Bill asked.

"Well, I told her about what happened, and she said that she wants me to deliver her baby."

"But ya have a concussion. Isn't she worried ya'd drop the kid 'cause you're dizzier than a tornado?"

Ralph gave Bill a slight glare at the tornado comment, but continued. "Yes I told her that I am more than likely concussed Bill, but she said she trusts me because I've been polite enough to ask each time before I looked up her skirt," he said wryly, quoting exactly what she said. "But, with how I feel now…"

Bill gave a brief nod and put a plan into motion. "OK, scenario: You deliver the kid, and I'll keep an eye on you to make sure ya don't go out on either of them."

"So, I'm the doctor and you're the nurse who mops my brow?" said Ralph with a slight smirk.

"Yeah… I'm a nurse, but ya better not tell the Counselor I let ya call me that. I'll deny it to my grave."

"I don't doubt it," said Ralph.

Bill softened his tone. "Kid, I know ya can do this. I think ya have a little bit more help than you can think of: Me, Shannon, Zora, Fred if he can keep from doing is house of sticks impression, and…" he said, pointing up.

Ralph nodded. There were two beings he knew up there who would help: God and the green guys using the suit. "I get you," he said. "I just hope that Esperanza is wrong…"

At the same moment he said that, Esperanza gave a cry of pain, a little louder than normal, but not a scream like Bill would see on TV. "Well, Kid, that was about a minute after the last contraction, so I think she was right after all," said Bill. "You ready?"

"Just about," he said. "Did the paramedics tell you what we needed to deliver the baby?"

"Yeah, and we have most of them. We might have to improvise slightly on a coupla things, but I think we can do it," said Bill. "Then I'll call the paramedics and let them know."

"OK, you'd better see if Zora or Fred have something we need and we'll be ready," said Ralph. Seeing Bill head over to the other two tellers, Shannon glanced at Ralph and frowned. "You sure you're ready?" she asked.

"As ready as I can be, just one more thing" said Ralph as he crossed himself and said a Hail Mary. While Shannon was a Baptist, she too prayed for Esperanza, the baby that was about to be born into this world, and Ralph, praying that the three were safe from danger in this moment. She also prayed that the officers would get them out of there soon for everyone's sake.

--------------------------------------

On the other side of the vault, Pam was watching the men cut the bolt to the vault and worrying about the two inside as well as the others locked in the vault. Hearing the phone ring, she turned and went over to where the officers were.

"OK, Mr. Maxwell, just tell Ralph and the others to keep the woman calm. When the contractions get closer, call us again and we'll talk you through the rest of it."

"Got'cha. How much longer 'til that bolt's cut through?" said Bill's voice over the other line.

"About 10 minutes. Just remember to keep everyone calm, and we'll just have one more person to take care of when you get out."

There was a slight ruckus heard from the phone, causing Pam to jump and grab the phone. "Bill, are you guys OK?" she said, worried that the stress and Ralph's head injury made him pass out.

"Geesh Counselor you don't haveta shout in my ear…"

"Bill, just answer me."

"Kid's fine, just Fred passed out again," said Bill with a noticeable disdain in his voice. "I bet my last dollar that guy faints from getting his arm rubbed with alcohol."

Pam chuckled at the comment. "OK, just be careful."

"No problems, just hope those guys are faster with the torches so we can get outta here and inta a nice warm hospital. Let me talk to the paramedics again," said Bill.

"Right, take care," said Pam as she handed back the phone, blushing slightly at the man's gentle chastising. She watched as the paramedics gave a couple of more notes to Bill then went back over near the vault and waited for the locksmith to finish cutting through the bolt. There was about an inch left to cut through, which would take about 8 to 10 minutes.


	8. Chapter 8

While Pam waited, Bill and Ralph were at Esperanza's side and keeping her calm. After a few minutes, Bill realized that her contractions were now at 30 seconds. "Zora, uh, can ya call the medics and tell them we're about there?" said Bill, who had switched out with Zora to help Ralph.

"Yes sir," she said, and left Fred's side. Hearing a familiar groan - the third time since they were in the vault, Ralph turned. "Fred, if you feel like you're going to faint again, I suggest you lie down, prop your feet up against the wall and put a blindfold on," he said sharply.

Bill was taken aback slightly by Ralph's order. "Ralph… that's…"

"That's what?"

"Well, what I'd say. Wish I'd thought of it earlier," he said, dumbfounded at Ralph's response.

Realizing the terseness of his voice, Ralph softened his tone. "I'm sorry Fred, the stress is getting to all of us. But, given you've had enough problems and we really don't need any more with the baby about to come, just please do what I said."

"All right," said Fred and he did what he was told, even tying his tie around his eyes as a blindfold.

Ralph and Bill looked at the man, then each other. Esperanza chuckled at the sight, but then cried out shortly in pain and squeezed Shannon's hand. "Uh, I think she's about to have the baby," said Shannon.

This time, Ralph decided to just look under Esperanza's skirt, and sitting up, nodded. "Yeah, I think I can see the baby's head," he said.

Zora relayed the information, and then put her hand on the speaker of the phone. "They said that once that started that you need to tell her when she feels a contraction coming again to take a breath and push."

Ralph nodded and translated to Esperanza what she needed to do. He then adjusted her skirt slightly to where the hem rested on her knees. Seeing Bill blush and look away, Ralph smiled, knowing exactly how Bill felt. This was a scenario he wasn't sure he wanted to deal with - even if he were 100 percent healthy.

Feeling a contraction, Esperanza took a deep breath and pushed as hard as she could. Noticing Bill's worried gaze when he hadn't heard a cry yet, Ralph just cleared his throat. "Nope not yet. Uno mas, Esperanza," said Ralph simply.

Esperanza again felt another contraction and really pushed. Ralph very gently held on to the baby as he delivered it. Ralph noticed two tiny plug-like things in the baby's nose and, after hearing what Zora told him the paramedics said, gently removed them. He then turned the baby to drain its lungs of fluid. A wailing cry echoed through the room, and everyone was in tears - mostly joy, but for Ralph a bit of pain.

"Un nino o nina?" (A boy or girl) asked Esperanza.

"Un nino," said Ralph as he gently wrapped the baby with one of the teller's jackets. He did not cut the umbilical cord, as the paramedics had told Zora that they wanted to be sure the baby got all it's blood before it was cut. She also relayed to the group that the lock would probably be cut within 5 minutes.

Bill put a gentle hand on Ralph's shoulder. "Ya did it kid," he said simply, tears in his eyes as he saw the little bundle Ralph was gently holding. The baby had a shock of dark hair and very dark brown eyes.

"Yeah, but Esperanza did most of the work," he said, smiling at Esperanza. While she longed to hold her baby, she was also tired and could tell that she needed to rest. Watching Ralph hold the baby, she had a feeling that he had held a baby before and knew her new son was safe. She decided to rest, but not doze off.

Bill glanced over at Fred, who apparently hadn't moved since the delivery. "Fred, are ya with the living?" said Bill jokingly.

Fred put his feet on the floor and took off the blindfold. "Still here… I think," he said wryly. "I'm just glad it's over."

"Not quite Fred. Given your faintness throughout all this, I'd still stay away from here right now," said Ralph simply. Realizing the same - but slightly softer - sharpness in Ralph's voice, Fred just nodded and stayed lying down.

The group was sitting there, admiring the baby and congratulating Esperanza - all saying "felicidades" which Ralph taught them, when they heard a click. There was a slight groan as the vault door opened and the paramedics entered. They went right over to Esperanza and started checking her vitals. Ralph in turn handed the baby to one of the paramedics as the man kneeled.

After Fred, Zora and Shannon left, Bill stood up and held out a hand to Ralph. "Ready to get outta here doctor?" Bill jokingly said to his friend. Remembering what he promised Bill, Ralph only chuckled and gently grabbed Bill's hand, standing up.

As Ralph was walking, he started daydreaming about having another child. It had been a few years since Kevin was born, and he remembered the joy of having a son. While Alicia's narrow-mindedness and suit scenarios ultimately lead to Ralph losing most of his visitation rights, Ralph still thought about Kevin and wondered what life could've been like with his son more in his life….

"Ralph?" said a new, and female voice next to him.

Turning, Ralph saw Pam and gave her a gentle hug. "Hi honey," he said smiling softly. "Exciting day for you huh?"

Pam pulled back and smiled. "Well, listening the paramedics, it sounds like you had the exciting day," she said with a smile.

Bill barged in. "Yeah, it was a tough situation for all of us, with Fred passin' out from seeing all the delivery stuff and tryin' to communicate with Espard… sorry Esperanza, but we made it, and even without using the suit."

As Bill was talking, Ralph began to feel a little giddy. He started chuckling, and Bill and Pam turned, confused. "Ralph, what's so funny?" said Pam.

Ralph smiled broadly. "We're going to have a baby!" he said joyfully, almost as a declaration.

Bill turned to Pam. "What's that about?" he said confused.

Pam shook her head in confusion as well, only to look at Ralph. She frowned when she noticed Ralph frown and his face turn white as a sheet. "Bill… Ralph's," said Pam, just as Ralph's eyes rolled up into his head and he passed out.

Bill and Pam caught Ralph as best as they could and lowered him to the ground. Two arriving paramedics came over and asked what happened. After Bill relayed the information to them about Ralph being pistolwhipped, the paramedics began treating Ralph and took him to the hospital.

Though Ralph came to shortly after his collapse in the bank, the doctors decided he needed to spend a night in the hospital for observation. There, he heard that the robbers who injured him had been in a wreck and were in the hospital, but that they'd be tried for assault with a deadly weapon as well as robbery. Though he had to be woken up every hour to make sure he didn't have any lasting effects of the injury, Ralph spent most of the night thinking about what had transpired in the vault - and other things.

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The next day, Ralph had just finished changing into his clothes, having Pam take home the suit the night before, and sat on the edge of the bed to put his shoes on.

Hearing the door open, Ralph slowly looked up and found Pam in the doorway. "Hi Ralph, you about ready to go home?" she asked.

"Yep, right now," he said, as he finished tying his shoe and stood up. Taking Pam's arm in his, the two walked out of Ralph's hospital room and signed him out.

Once Ralph got his wrist ID taken off, he turned to Pam, smiling. "Do you want to go to the maternity ward," he asked.

"Why not? I'd like to see Esperanza's son," she said and the two walked over to the maternity wing. When they arrived, they found the nursery and looked at the babies in their bassinets. Glancing over the names, Ralph chuckled at some of the names. Most of the babies were sleeping, but some of them were a little fussy, making the nurses come over to make sure they were warm, clean and happy.

Seeing one bassinet in particular, Ralph gently nudged Pam in the ribs. "There he is…" said Ralph.

Looking at the name on the bassinet, Pam chuckled. "Ralph Guillermo de le Vega?" she said.

"Yep. About an hour after I was checked into the hospital, and once they were sure I was all right, they told me that Esperanza wanted to know how I was. After they told her that I was all right but had passed out from my concussion, she was relieved. She also wanted me to know that she named her son after Bill and me," he said, beaming.

"But still… Ralph?" said Pam wryly, and Ralph stuck his tongue out. "I'm just kidding Ralph, I think it's a terrific name and honor."

"She even said Bill, you and I could be honorary godparents as well, since she promised her sister that her family could be baby Ralph's godparents," he said.

"I'd like that, but one thing's been bothering me," said Pam as they then headed back toward the entrance of the hospital to head home.

"What's that honey?"

"What did you mean when you said 'We're going to have a baby' before you passed out?"

Ralph ran a hand though his hair, a bit flustered. He didn't remember saying that, realizing now that he was close to passing out when he started feeling giddy. "I'm not too sure, why do you ask?"

"It sure sounded great before you collapsed," she said sadly.

The blond-haired man thought for a moment, and chuckled. "You know, it sure does. I bet I said it because I'd like to say that for real," he said, drawing her into a soft kiss. The two kissed for a long time, then parted lips, seeing a tell-tale glint in their eyes. "Now, how about we go home and I'll show you what I exactly mean?"

Pam nodded, and gave Ralph a coy wink. Ralph chuckled and the two again walked arm in arm toward the car, chatting their hopes and dreams that soon they'd hear the pitter-patter of little feet.


End file.
